Rotary engine



G. F. COFFELT.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.15, I920.

1 ,404,583 Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

2 SHtE|'$SHEET I. F 9

ES ATTORNEY G. F. COFFELT.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I5. 1920.

1,404,583, Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

6'. Foff'eZt.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

none: 1'. com, or narrow, omo.

' norm! manta Specification or Letterlhtent. P t t d Jan. 24,

Application fled Iovenbor 18, 1980. mm Io. 484,804.

To the attainmentof the foregoing, the

invention consists in' the improvement as hereinafter described anddefinitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof Figure 1 is a viewshowing my novel engine or apparatus in side elevation.

Figure 2 is a plan view illustrative of the lower section of the pistoncylinder and the piston therein.

Figure 3 is an inverted plan of the upper section of the pistoncylinder.

Figure 4 is a view partly in side elevation and partlydn verticalsection, the section being taken in a plane parallel to Figure 1. c

Figure 5 is a detail section illustrating the means for automaticallycontrolling the suppl of fluid under pressure to the cylinder.

igure 6 is an enlarged detail section SllOWlllg one of the relief valvesof the rectilinearly movable piston blade.

Figure .7 is an enlar ed brokenview in.

plan showing a part 0 the means to control the supply of fluid underpressure to the cylinder. Y

Figure 8 is a detail enlarged view of the air compressing meanscomprised in the improvement.

tion is ofinternal combustion t Similar numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts in all of the views fif the drawings.

The illustrated embodiment of my invenamong otherelements the said emdiment comprises a lower cylinder section 1 and an upper cylindersection 2, the latter being interiorly channeled as indicated by 3 toafford an explosion chamber that is traversed by the extended portion ofthe rectilinearly movable blade 4 of the rotary piston 5. The rotationof the piston 5 in conjunction with the cylinder controls therectilinear move-' andments of the blade 4, and it will be observed bycomparison of Fi res 4 and 6 that each .end portion of the b ade 4 isprovided with what I designate a relief valve 6. The said -.reliefvalves 6 are provided in order to facilitate starting of theerigine, andit will be readily understood in this connectionthat if a vacuum iscreated in the explosion chamber 3 back of the extended portion of theblade 4 when the engine-is idle, the said vacuum. will be broken by theopening of the uppermost valve 6 at the initial movecated by arrow inFigure 4. Interiorly the piston cylinder is provided with a cam portion7 for coo eration with'the beveled ends 8 of the bla e 4, and at 9 thecylinder is provided with an exhaust conduit in communication with theyatmosphere. It will also be understood 'by comparison of Fig ures 2, 4and 5 that the piston 5 is provided with peripheral recesses 10.

Appropriately connected with and supported by the piston cylinder is acylinder 11, Figures 1, 4, 5 and 7 in which is a piston valve 12 forcontrolling the supply of fluid cylinder of the piston 5 and iscontrolled by t c said piston 5. In other words when the stem 13 isopposed to the unreces'sed portions of the piston 5, the valve 12 willbe in its outermost positionwhile when the stem 13 is opposed to one ofthe recesses 10 the sprin 14 at the right of the piston valve 12 w1 beenabled to force the said piston valve 12 toward the left; The apertures15 at the right hand end of the cylinder 11 are 4 ment of the piston' inthe direction indiunder pressure to the cylinder of the work mg plston.The said piston valve 12 is pro-' vi ed with a stem 13 that extends intothe merely vents to prevent a cushion of airv I from interfering withmovement of the piston valve 12 toward the right. The said piston valve12 is characterized by a transverse port orchambe'r 16, and it will alsobe observed that a conduit 17 leads from one side of the cylinder; 11 tothe cylinder of the working piston'5 at the point 18 in Figure 4.Connected. to one side of the cylinder 11 is a ipe 19' adapted to leadfrom a source of 'gaso ene or other hydrocarbon fuel suppl and providedwith-a re lating valve 20. A so leading-from said si e of the cylinder11 and arranged V in transverse alinement with the mouth of the conduit17 is a pipe 21, Figures 1, 4 and 7. The said pipe 21 extends laterallyfrom the cylinder 11 and then upwardly, and at its end remote fromthecylinder 11 said pipe 21 is connected with a compressed air tank 22,Fi res 1 and 4. Connected at 23 with the interior of the cylinder of theworkin piston 5 is a pipe 24, Figures 4 and 8, w 1ch leads to one end ofa pump cylinder 25 in which is a piston 26 that is movableby theexpanding mixture toward the left in Figure 8 against the action of aspring 26 also contained in the cylinder 25. The expanding products ofcombustion act of course a alnst the piston 26 to move the same towarthe left in Figure 8. When the piston 26 is movedtbward the right inFigure 8 it serves to draw atmospheric air into the cylinder 25 past theinwardly o ening non-return valve 27, and whenthe plston 26 is movedtoward the left in Figure 8 it serves to compress such air and to forcethesame past the non-return valve 28 and through theconduit 29 into thestorage tank 22.

Any appropriate ignition means may be employed, though I prefer to use aspark plug 30 and to control the creation of sparks by the ordinary wellknown means associated with the working piston 5.

In the practical operation of the embodiment illustrated and describedit will be manifest that when the iston valve 12 is in the positionshown in Figure 7 hydrocarbon fuel will be received in' the chamber 16.When one of the piston recesses 10 is presented to the stem 13, thespring 14 will move the piston .12 and interpose' the chamber 16 and thefuel charge therein between the pipe 21 and the conduit 17 whereupon ahead of fluid under pressure will sweep way will replenish the supply ofcompressedair in the tank 22. After the extended portion of the piston 4passes the exhaust port or conduit 9, the spring 26 will operate to movethe piston 26 toward the right in Figure 8 with the result thatatmospheric a1r will be drawn into the cylinder 25, ready to be forcedinto the tank 22 on the subsequent I movement of the piston 26 towardthe left in 1 In testimony Figure 8. The operation described willcontinue so long as hydrocarbon fuel is supplied through the pipe 19,and when'the sup ply of hydrocarbon fuel is cut ofi. the engine willcome to a stop.

It will be apparent from the fore oing that my novel engine is capableof re iable operation, the cam 7 in cooperation with the beveled ends 8of the piston blade 4 serving to correctly position the said blade 4 ateach time when one end of the blade is in a posi-. tion in front of theexplosive mixture supply port 18, with reference to the direction ofrotation of the working piston 5. It will also be apparent that theengine is simple, and that all of its parts are well adapted towithstand the usage to which apparatus of corresponding character isordinarily subjected.

While designed primarily as an internal combustion engine, it is to beunderstood that some of the features of my novel engine may be used toadvantage. in a steam engine.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure-byLetters-Patent, 1s v v 1. The combination of a rotar internal combustionengine comprising a cy inder and a rotary piston with peripheralrecesses, disposed in said cylinder, a piston valve having 'a stemextending into the cylinder and opposed to the periphery of the pistonand adapted to cooperate with the piston recesses,

said piston valve also having a transverse" port, a casing containingsaid valve, a pipe leading from the valve casing and adapted to beconnected with a source of fluid-pressure supply, a pipe connecting saidvalve casing and the cylinder, the induction end of said pipe beingarranged opposite the end of the fluid-pressure supplv pipe, a valvedfuel supply pipe leading to the valve casing and arranged outwardlybeyond the fluidpressure supply pipe, and a spring inter posed betweenthe outer endof the piston valve and an abutment in the outer'portien ofthe valve casing and adapted when one of the piston recesses is opposedto the valve stem to press the piston valve inwardly.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder haying inductionand. exhaust ports and an internal cam portion adjacent to the exhaustport, a rotary piston in said cylinder, a blade carried by and movablerectilinearly in the piston and beyond the periphery thereof and reliefvalves in the end portions of the blade and movable with the blade intoand out of the rotary piston. whereof I afiix my si ature.

GEORGE moor ELT.

